1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to power converters, and more particularly to converters that start an AC synchronous generator mounted on an APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) with minimal disturbance to the AC input power quality and with minimal generation of EMI.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are a variety of power converter designs that are used to start an AC synchronous generator as a motor. The conventional power converters have been found to pollute the input source and degrade AC input power quality. The conventional designs employ two separate converters, one that starts the AC synchronous generator from an AC input source and another converter that starts the AC synchronous generator from a 24 VDC battery input or from a 28 VDC transformer rectifier unit. The use of two separate converters increases weight and decreases reliability. It is an object of the present invention to take advantage of the common components of the individual converters and to provide a start function without degradation of AC input power quality.